Shogi: discover Japanese chess and its unique rules

Shogi is Japanese chess: a variant played on a 9×9 board, with 20 pieces per player, whose most distinctive rule allows captured pieces to be dropped back onto the board. Like Western chess and Chinese Xiangqi, it descends from the ancient Indian game of chaturanga, and took its current form in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868). Here are its essential rules and what truly sets it apart from the chess played in Europe.

Updated on 14 November 2026 · By Delphine D., Le Palais des Échecs editorial team

Update of 14 November 2026: complete overhaul: full guide and comparison of Shogi, positioned as the Japanese counterpart to Western chess: origins, essential rules (including the….

What is Shogi? Origins and history of Japanese chess

Shogi belongs to the great family of chess games, alongside Chinese Xiangqi and Western chess: all descend from a common ancestor, chaturanga, which appeared in India before spreading across Asia and then Europe. The game is thought to have arrived in Japan via China, where it evolved over the centuries to give rise to its most distinctive rule: the dropping of captured pieces.

Shogi took its current form during the Edo period (1603-1868): the best players were then sponsored by the shogunate and competed in closely followed official games. This tradition has endured: professional Shogi remains a widely followed game in Japan today, with its own titles and ceremonies. To place Shogi within the broader history of the game, our article on the history of chess traces this shared lineage, and our guide to Xiangqi, traditional Chinese chess, lets you compare the three branches of this family.

The rules of Shogi explained simply

Shogi is played on a 9×9 board, or 81 squares, with 20 pieces per player: a king, a rook, a bishop, two gold generals, two silver generals, two knights, two lances and nine pawns. Each piece has its own movement, sometimes close to that of Western chess, often more limited.

The Shogi board and pieces

The pieces are flat pentagons, all the same colour: it is their orientation, tip pointing towards the opponent, that indicates which side they belong to. A typically Japanese restraint, quite different from the black and white pieces of Western chess.

Who starts a game of Shogi?

As in chess, one player opens the game. They are called sente (“the one who plays first”), the other gote. Since the pieces are identical for both sides, this role is not tied to a colour: it is traditionally determined by a draw using pawns (furigoma).

The rule that changes everything: dropping captured pieces

This is the feature that truly sets Shogi apart from every other chess variant: a captured piece never leaves the game. It changes side, joins the reserve of the player who captured it, and can be dropped onto any empty square instead of making a normal move.

• Forbidden column: a pawn cannot be dropped onto a file that already contains an unpromoted pawn of the same side.
• Forbidden mate: a pawn cannot be dropped if it delivers immediate checkmate.
• Unpromoted form: a dropped piece always reverts to its original form, even if it had been promoted before being captured.

This mechanism changes the entire logic of the game: in Shogi, material never disappears, it circulates constantly between the two players. Games are therefore far more dynamic than in Western chess, and draws are extremely rare.

Shogi vs Western chess: 6 key differences

Shogi and chess share a common origin, but their rules have diverged on essential points: board size, number of pieces, the fate of captured pieces, promotion, the frequency of draws and even the existence of a piece equivalent to the queen.

For another comparison of strategy games, our article draughts versus chess details the differences between these two classics. And unlike the Elo rating used in chess, which we cover in our guide to the Elo rating, amateur Shogi uses a system of kyu then dan grades.

The Japanese aesthetic of Shogi pieces and its influence on the art of the chessboard

Shogi pieces owe their beauty to their restraint: light wood, engraved or hand-lettered in ink, with no figurative carving. This discretion contrasts with the Western chess tradition, where the piece itself becomes a sculpted object, sometimes inlaid, enhanced with brass or fine woods.

Le Palais des Échecs does not offer Shogi sets: our pieces follow the rules and Staunton aesthetic of Western chess. But lovers of Asian refinement will find a kindred spirit in our Orient & Asia collections and our chess pieces in fine woods, where worked wood and chiselled brass echo this decorative tradition.

With its hand-inlaid burl wood chessboard and its pieces in solid brass and wood, the Grand Oriental Chess Set illustrates this decorative strand inspired by the Orient, midway between woodcraft and metalwork.

View the Grand Oriental Chess Set

Among fine woods, the Western tradition plays on contrast rather than restraint: dark ebony sets off light boxwood, as on the Highclere Set, whose ebony and boxwood pieces sit on a burl and elm chessboard, with a golden rosewood storage box. Other pairings, such as the Rochester Set in walnut, maple, boxwood and ebony, or the Staunton Set in solid brass on a walnut and maple chessboard, show the range of our finishes in ebony chess pieces or brass chess pieces.

To discover other worlds, from medieval times to ancient Egypt, our themed chess pieces category and our themed complete chess sets bring together our most distinctive collections, of which Orient & Asia is just one facet.

How can you get started with Shogi today?

To learn Shogi without buying any equipment, the website Lishogi.org lets you play online for free, against other players or against an engine. Shogi clubs also exist in France for those who prefer to learn in person.

As in judo or Go, amateur Shogi levels traditionally range from 10th kyu, for a beginner, up to 1st kyu, before moving on to the dan grades. Japanese professional players operate within their own hierarchy, from 4th to 9th dan. To compare the best platforms for playing chess online, see our comparison of free chess websites.

If you are drawn to the world of Shogi but prefer to stick with the rules of Western chess, more widely played in France, that has been the focus of Le Palais des Échecs since 2008: over 5,000 customers have trusted us for their wooden chess set, and our best-selling woods remain, in order, boxwood, maple, walnut, rosewood and then mahogany. For your first steps on the chessboard, our guide why and how to learn to play chess is a good starting point.

The Classic Staunton Set pairs ebony and boxwood pieces with a mahogany chessboard: the benchmark pairing for tournament chess, for anyone who wants to stick to a tried-and-tested format.

View the Classic Staunton Set

To discover our full range, browse our complete chess sets or our Other Games category, from backgammon to draughts. And as in Shogi, chess competitions are played with a clock: our guide to using a chess clock explains the most common time controls.

Frequently asked questions

What are the basic rules of Shogi?

Shogi is played by two people, on a 9×9 board, with 20 pieces per player: a king, a rook, a bishop, two gold generals, two silver generals, two knights, two lances and nine pawns. The aim is to checkmate the opponent’s king, as in Western chess, but any captured piece can be dropped back onto the board by its new side.

Who starts a game of Shogi?

One player opens the game, called sente; the other is the gote. Since the pieces are identical for both sides, this role is not tied to a colour and is traditionally determined by a draw (furigoma) before the game.

What is the difference between Shogi and chess?

The main difference lies in the fate of captured pieces: in Western chess they are permanently removed, whereas in Shogi they change side and can return to play. The board (9×9 versus 8×8), the number of pieces (40 versus 32) and the absence of a queen in Shogi are the other main differences.

How much does a Shogi set cost?

A beginner’s Shogi set, board and wooden pieces included, is generally priced between €50 and €120 from specialist retailers; versions with hand-lettered pieces cost more. Le Palais des Échecs does not sell Shogi sets, but offers many wooden Western chess sets at comparable prices.

How can I learn to play Shogi?

The website Lishogi.org lets you play online for free, against other players or an engine. Shogi clubs also exist in France for learning with a physical board and progressing through the grading system, from kyu to dan.

What game does Shikamaru play in Naruto?

In the Naruto manga and anime, the character Shikamaru Nara is a keen Shogi player: he regularly uses it to illustrate his way of thinking several moves ahead, like a true strategist.